Our Wisdom Board

The Art of Passwords

You’ve heard all the rules: "Keep them complicated! Change them often!” While this is very sound advice, it can be time consuming to continuously update passwords for our ever-growing number of accounts. To help maximize the power of your password, we've gotten together and compiled our top three most important (and realistic!) guidelines.

1. The longer, the better.

Short passwords are easily guessed, so make sure your password has 10 characters or more. Consider picking a short sentence or phrase with the spaces removed. (Example: MyDriveToWork)

2. Pick a random word.

If you don’t intend on changing your password until forced, it’s best to pick a word that has nothing to do with your personal life. Avoid using personal words like pet names or your childhood street, and go for random nouns instead. (Examples: Butterfly, Washington, Spaghetti)

3. Add a number or symbol.

Using these three tips simultaneously will increase the power of your passwords exponentially. Remember, HIPAA regulations require practices to periodically review password procedures with staff (Security Rule 164.308(a)(5)), so consider running through these password guidelines at your next company meeting.